Anyone who has spent any length of time in Korea can easily recognize the pattern. A foreigner on a bus or the subway or sitting alone in a coffee shop is the most likely target. It begins when a Korean student--usually carrying a copy of an English language newspaper or listening to an English cassette tape on a Walkman stereo--spots the target and gradually works his way to within striking distance.
        After a minute or two, the student works up the courage for his opening line. "Excuse me. Do you have the time?" or "Where are you from?" or simply "Hello." That opens the door to the usual flood of questions: "How long have you been in Korea? What do you do for a living? Are you married? How old are you? What's your hobby? Where do you live? What's your favorite Korean food? and so on and so on.
        For some reason, I seem to be an easy target. Maybe part of the reason is because I have no car, and I often travel by subway or bus. Whatever the reason, I'm usually the victim of this kind of attack several times a week, so nowadays I can easily rattle off the answers to most of the questions without interrupting my own train of thought: "Hello. It's 8:37. Ohio. About a year and a half. I'm an English teacher. No. 28. Studying Korean. Seogyo-Dong. Bulgogi." etc.
        But don't get me wrong; I'm not complaining! I look at it as a kind of game--trying to guess which people in the crowd want to start a conversation, and how long it will take before they ask the first question. As a matter of fact, unless I'm tired or busy or have just had a really bad day, I usually welcome the chance to kill some time, and I feel a little disappointed when someone I guessed would start a conversation chickens out and waits one bus stop or one subway station too long. I've had many interesting talks and even made a few lasting friendships from this kind of initial contact.
        It goes without saying that having a one-to-one relationship with a native English-speaking friend is one of the best ways for a student to improve his English conversation ability. Unfortunately, the ratio of students to native speakers and students to native-speaking instructors is discouragingly high. So, as an English teacher, I try to encourage my students to talk to foreigners whenever they have a chance. That doesn't mean that you have to hit every foreigner in sight with a barrage of questions from your middle school textbook, however.
        To tell the truth, most foreigners are sick and tired of answering questions about thier hobbies, family, favorite singer, first impression of Korea, etc. You'll hve a much better chance of starting a conversation, and perhaps even making a friend, if you ask an interesting and natural question or make a natural or helpful comment.
        In their enthusiasm to practice English, many students seem to forget that a foreigner on the subway is not jsut a conversation opportunity, but also a person. Show a genuine interest and try to say something in English that you would like to say in Korean.
        Also remember that language is not the only difference. You are also dealing with cultural differences. Privacy is very important to many foreigners, especially Americans. It's usually not a good idea to approach an American sitting alone reading a newspaper in a quiet corner of a coffee shop or a park, for instance. Chances are that he is honestly enjoying his solitude and will not appreciate the intrusion at all. Also, some questions that seem quite natural to Koreans are considered very personal by many foreigners. Questions about age or money, for instance, may very well not produce the desired effect of stimulating conversation, but instead be met only by an icy stare.
        A student who is really serious about learning to speak English is going to have to talk to foreigners sooner or later, and "there's no time like the present." Start with a greeting, a few words, or a simple question and work your way up. You don't have to attack every foreigner you meet with every bit of English you know, but on the other hand, don't be afraid to speak when the opportunity presents itself.